Training Israel’s Team to the International Mathematical Olympiad

Low rankings for the Israeli teams competing in the annual International Mathematical Olympiad in recent years led the Ministry of Education to seek a new approach to preparing and training the team. After a lengthy process in which proposals from a number of bodies and organizations were considered, the Davidson Institute of Science Education was asked to carry out an innovative new program. Dr. Yaakov Lavie of the Davidson Institute heads the new math training program. Working with him is a staff of high-level professional trainers headed by Lev Radzivilovsky, who will receive additional advice and assistance from Weizmann Institute scientists.

 

The candidate selection and preparation process began with a nation-wide mathematics test given by the Science and Technology Division of the Ministry of Education to 4,000 outstanding high-school students. In the next step, the 350 highest scorers were invited to participate in the Prof. Joseph Gillis National Math Olympiad, held at the Weizmann Institute. Of these, 30 are now entering the next stages of training, provided by the Davidson Institute.

Each of the 30 vying for a place on the team will have a personalized, online learning program designed for him, or her alone, including individual tutoring and guidance sessions.

Along with the individual work, the students will participate in a five-day sleep-over training camp in February at the Laub International Youth Village on the Weizmann campus. Here, they will take part in intensive ‘workouts’ led by Davidson Institute staff trained by Radzivilovsky, as well as sessions with members of the Weizmann Institute’s Mathematics Department. A second training camp will be held over the Pesach vacation, at which point 15 of the 30 will be invited to continue. At a third camp to be held in June, the most outstanding seven students will be chosen to make up the Israeli team to the international competition, to be held in Holland in July.

 

Lavie: ‘At the Davidson Institute of Science Education, we don’t take shortcuts. We believe in hard work and perseverance, but also in giving the individual attention that will bring out the best effort in each member of the team. Thanks to the intensive, personalized training program, we expect to turn things around and raise Israel’s standing in the international mathematics rankings.’